Shadow Hearts

Yuri Hyuga is a young harmonixer: a man who possesses the power of transforming into demons. He meets Alice Elliot, a young British girl whose father was brutally murdered, and who is chased by a mysterious warlock who calls himself Roger Bacon. Yuri and Alice travel through pre-war China, dealing with demons, evil magicians, and the Japanese occupation army. The journey eventually takes them and their friends to Europe, where they have to confront their ultimate enemy, but also uncover the truth about their own pasts.

The game features traditional turn-based combat style for battles, adding a feature called Judgment Ring. Every time a character performs an attack, a ring with a spinning arrow appears on the top of the screen. If the player stops the arrow when it is over a critical area on the ring, the attack will be more powerful. However, missing the larger hit area will cancel the attack completely. The Judgment Ring is also used for other purposes.

All characters except Yuri learn new abilities automatically when leveling up. Due to his demon-fusion abilities, Yuri can collect soul energy and use it to acquire various fusion forms. When Yuri transforms into a demon he gains unique abilities, and continues fighting with the party as a controllable character. He also has to travel to a graveyard in his own mental realm from time to time, in order to face his own inner demons and clear Malice.